Myth to Deconstruct: “He’ll Get Used to It”

In the grooming world, there are phrases we hear so often that they become almost invisible. One of them, and perhaps one of the most misleading, is: “He’ll get used to it.”

At first glance, it sounds harmless. After all, humans and animals alike adapt to new experiences, don’t they? But in reality, this phrase ignores one of the most fundamental aspects of animal well-being: the uniqueness of each individual’s sensory threshold.

Why “getting used to it” is a dangerous shortcut

When we say “he’ll get used to it”, what we are really doing is placing the responsibility on the animal to adapt, rather than questioning our own practices.It’s a perspective that can have serious consequences, because repetition does not always lead to habituation, it can also lead to sensitization.

In other words, instead of becoming more comfortable with the experience, the animal may become more distressed, more defensive, and less cooperative over time.

Understanding sensory thresholds

Every animal has a sensory threshold; a personal limit to what they can tolerate in terms of touch, sound, or movement. Far from being a fixed trait, this threshold fluctuates according to several key factors:

• Life history: past trauma, insufficient socialization, or negative handling experiences all lower tolerance.

• Breed or coat type: some coats and skin types make animals more sensitive to certain tools or techniques (a poodle’s skin does not react the same as a husky’s, for example).

• Current emotional state: fatigue, stress from travel, anxiety, or hidden pain can make an animal far less resilient than usual.

The cumulative effect of negative touch

One of the most overlooked aspects of grooming is that touch is never neutral.It always leaves an imprint, positive, negative, or neutral, in the animal’s sensory memory.

A dog that tolerates rough brushing once may refuse it the next time. A cat that accepts restraint once may fight back the second time. Why? Because memory links the physical sensation to an emotion: stress, fear, discomfort.

This is why repeating a stressful gesture rarely leads to acceptance. Instead, it builds resistance, anticipation of pain, and eventually, defensive behavior.

Grooming as a sensory education

When we understand grooming not as a purely aesthetic service, but as a sensory experience, everything changes.We are not simply washing, brushing, or trimming. We are teaching the animal something about human touch.

• Gentle handling teaches trust.

• Respecting limits builds cooperation.

• Ignoring signals creates resistance.

This perspective transforms grooming into a form of long-term sensory education, where each appointment adds to the animal’s “library of touch experiences.”

Changing our professional posture

Moving away from the myth of “he’ll get used to it” requires a conscious shift in our professional identity. It means seeing ourselves not only as coat-care experts, but as guardians of the animal’s sensory and emotional well-being.

That shift involves:

• Observing micro-signals of discomfort (lip licking, paw withdrawal, frozen posture).

• Modifying our techniques (changing tools, reducing pressure, adjusting speed).

• Allowing flexibility (breaking tasks into shorter sessions, offering pauses).

• Accepting that sometimes, less is more (a towel-dry instead of a forced dryer, a shorter session rather than pushing the animal beyond its limit).

From tolerance to trust

Ultimately, grooming should never be about forcing tolerance. It should be about cultivating trust.

Because an animal that trusts the professional will accept care more willingly, not out of resignation, but out of comfort and confidence.

This is what defines truly holistic grooming: considering not only the visible result, but also the invisible, emotional imprint we leave behind.

-> At the International Grooming Society (IGS), we believe that deconstructing myths like “he’ll get used to it” is essential to move the profession forward. Grooming is not just a technical skill — it is a sensory relationship, a dialogue, and an opportunity to create positive experiences that last a lifetime.